Tachipirina®
Tachipirina® is a paracetamol-based drug with analgesic and antipyretic action, which is used both alone and in combination with other substances.
The guidelines of the World Health Organization recommend administering this principle when our body temperature exceeds 38-38.5°C.
Tachipirina® is used concretely in the symptomatic treatment of febrile diseases such as,
- the flu,
- exanthematous diseases,
- acute diseases of the respiratory tract,
- headaches , _
- the neuralgias,
- myalgias and other painful manifestations of medium entity, of various origins.
Pharmaceutical forms of Tachipirina®
It can be purchased without a prescription both in pharmacies and parapharmacies, as well as in online shops in the following forms.
- Tachipirina® 500 mg tablets.
- Tachipirina® 500 mg effervescent granules.
- Tachipirina® 125 mg effervescent granules.
- Tachipirina® 120 mg/5 ml syrup.
- Tachipirina® 100 mg/ml oral drops, solution.
- Tachipirina® 125 mg “Early Childhood” suppositories.
- Tachipirina® 250 mg “Children” suppositories.
- Tachipirina® 500 mg “Children” suppositories.
- Tachipirina® 1000 mg “Adult” suppositories.
As regards the Dosage Scheme of all these forms of the drug Tachipirina®, please refer to the leaflet drawn up by the drug Agency.
Tachipirina® in pregnancy
Here are the things you should know about it.
Tachipirina® is considered by many doctors as the best pain reliever to take during pregnancy in most cases.
For a long time, pregnant women have used Tachipirina® without any evident harmful effects on developing children. And it is for this reason that Tachipirina® is usually recommended to pregnant women as the “first choice” painkiller.
Other pain relievers, including over-the-counter pain relievers sold without a prescription,
- o have not been shown to be safer than Tachipirina®;
- or (some of these) have not been shown to be suitable during specific stages of pregnancy.
Although it is not possible to state that any drug is absolutely safe to be used during pregnancy, at the moment there is no evidence about the possible harm to the baby caused by Tachipirina®.
In any case, pregnant women are generally advised to take the lowest possible (effective) dose of Tachipirina®, and only for the time strictly necessary.
Tachipirina® is sold, both alone and in combination with other medicines: for example, in the context of cold and flu remedies. In these cases it is important that the pregnant woman makes sure that – combined with Tachipirina® – the other drugs can be taken, and that she does not take a dose of Tachipirina® greater than the recommended daily dose.
The state of the art
This article aims to summarize the scientific studies relating to the effects of Tachipirina® on the child and mother.
Therefore, this information will help you weigh the relationship between the benefits and the possible risks deriving from the use of Tachipirina®, some of which may depend on the current stage of your pregnancy. Here they are in detail.
Abortion
- Some studies of pregnant women who took acetaminophen have found increased risks of miscarriage.
Birth defects
- A baby’s body and most of its internal organs are formed during the 12th week of pregnancy , and it is mainly during this time that some medications cause birth defects .
- Most studies conducted to date have shown that women who took acetaminophen during the first three months of pregnancy were no more likely to give birth to a baby with birth defects than women who had not taken it. .
- Although some studies have hypothesized that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase the chances of giving birth to male children affected by cryptorchidism (i.e. the failure or incomplete descent of the testicles), however, other studies do not agree with these conclusions.( 10 )
- A study – recently reported by the media – conducted on mice showed that the use of paracetamol during pregnancy can reduce the levels of testosterone (a hormone that is important for the development of males) in future offspring. Since this was an animal study, we don’t know how it can be traced back to human pregnancy as well.
- In conclusion , there is currently no scientific evidence regarding the possibility that paracetamol can cause congenital defects, cryptorchidism, i.e. the failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotal sac, or changes in hormone levels.
Preterm birth
- A preterm or premature birth occurs when labor occurs between weeks 22 and 37 of pregnancy .
- During a study about this type of risk in women who took acetaminophen during the third trimester, there was no increase in the chances of preterm birth (before the 37th week of pregnancy ).
baby underweight at birth
- A recent study showed that women who had taken paracetamol during their pregnancy had no greater risk of giving birth to a baby weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth.
delivery of a stillbirth
- According to a study that evaluated this effect, no increase in this risk is associated with taking paracetamol during pregnancy.
child’s learning or behavior problems
- A baby’s brain continues to develop until the end of pregnancy.
- It is therefore possible that at any stage of pregnancy, taking specific medications may have a lasting effect on the learning or behavior of the future child.
- Much research is currently underway into possible causes of learning and behavior disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it is of an area that is very difficult to study, and there is currently little scientific information on this subject.
- Only a small amount of research has examined the development, behavior and learning of children whose mothers took acetaminophen during pregnancy. However, they have not yet provided convincing scientific evidence regarding a possible correlation between the intake of paracetamol during pregnancy and problems relating to the child’s learning and behaviour.
- It has been widely reported in the media that these studies have highlighted the existence of behavioral problems caused by taking paracetamol during pregnancy. However, many experts agree that there is not enough evidence to draw these conclusions, and that much more research will be needed before determining whether the differences in learning and behavior found by some of these studies could be related to the use of paracetamol in pregnancy.
health problems of the child
- Some scientific studies hypothesize that children who are exposed to paracetamol in the womb may experience greater breathing problems during childhood or develop asthma.
- However, other studies do not confirm these conclusions and, currently, there is no solid scientific evidence regarding the increased risk of the child developing respiratory problems or asthma due to the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.
To conclude
If you have any questions about the possible use of Tachipirina® or other medicines during your pregnancy, always consult – first and foremost – your doctor.
Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.
She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.